Manually actuated semi-rotatable twin toothbrush



July 23, 1957 J. BRAUSCH 2,799,878

MANUALLY ACTUATED SEMI-ROTATABLE TWIN TOOTHBRUSH Filed June 14, 1954 3 I8 3 lo INVENTOR. JOSEPH BRAuscn A r romvzv Unite MANUALLY ACTUATED SEMI-RQTATABLE TWIN TOGTHBRUSH This invention relates to improvements in a toothbrush and particularly to improvements in What may be termed a mechanical toothbrush since the brush, per se, or the bristle portion of the brush is mechanically moved with respect to the surfaces of the teeth.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a pair of brush or bristle portions which are simultaneously actuated with respect to one another and simultaneously on the front and back of a tooth or adjacent teeth.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a toothbrush that will accomplish the foregoing object and in which the operating mechanism is of a simple construction and embodies manually operable and readily controllable means for actuating the said brush or bristle portions.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a mechanical toothbrush wherein the parts can be readily disassembled and disassociated from one another for cleaning purposes to maintain the toothbrush in a clean and sanitary condition.

A still further and specific object of this invention is the provision of a mechanical toothbrush in which the brush or bristle portions are replaceable thereby allowing the mechanical portion of the toothbrush to be used with new brush or bristle portions upon the wearing out thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and it is to be understood that any modifications may be made in the exact structural details there shown and described, within the scope of the appended claim, Without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a mechanical toothbrush forming the subject matter of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the toothbrush of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the mechanical toothbrush as seen, for example, from the left-hand end of Fig. 2 and with parts in section and parts broken away for clearness of illustration.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view through Fig. 3 as seen from line 4-4 on said Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view as seen from line 55 on Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view through the brush or bristle portions of the toothbrush as seen from line 6-6 on Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional through said brush or bristle portions as seen from line 77 on Fig. 2.

Throughout the several views of the drawings, similar reference characters are employed to denote the same or similar parts.

As was noted above, the present invention, while pertates Patent ice taining to improvements in a toothbrush, is primarily directed to the provision of a mechanical toothbrush, wherein the proper and desired movement of the brush bristles with respect to the teeth is automatically and mechanically effected. The brush of the present invention will also simultaneously brush or clean the front and back surface of each tooth and accomplish these functions whether on the lower teeth or the upper teeth with a simple and identical motion of the device.

Specifically, the mechanical toothbrush of the present invention comprises a pair of rectangular hollow housings which may be designated as an outer housing 10 and an inner housing 11 adapted to telescope with respect to one another. The outer housing 10 is provided with rectangular bottom 12 from the periphery of which rises side walls 13 and end walls 14. The end walls 14 each have outwardly projecting therefrom an apertured lug 15 respectively provided with a circular aperture 16, which as will later be made clear, are for the reception of a users fingers.

The inner housing 11, similar to the outer housing It is provided with a base or top portion 17 from the periphery of which projects side walls 18 and end walls 19. The inner housing 11 is made to a dimension, as noted above, to telescope within the outer housing as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

The side walls 13 of the outer housing are each provided inwardly of its end walls, with a downwardly projecting slot 20 and 21 and the inner housing 11 is similarly provided in each of its side walls 18 with slots 22 and 23 which when the housings are telescoped, are in line with one another. In other words, the outer housing slots 20 and 21 are respectively in vertical alignment with the inner housing slots 22 and 23 upon the telescoping of the side housings.

Disposed within the slots and journaled on the bases thereof are shafts 24 and 25 with the shaft 2 being journaled on the bases of slots 2t! and 22 while the shaft 25 is journaled on the bases of the slots 21 and 23. The said shafts 24 and 25 project some distance beyond one side of the telescoped housings while the said shafts need not project beyond a bearing portion from the other side of said housings.

Within the telescoped housings 101l, shafts 24 and 25 each have secured thereto an interrupted gear or pinion, respectively indicated in the drawings by the reference numerals 26 and 27. As will be noted from Fig. 3, the gear 27 is provided with an uncut portion 23 and a similar construction is given to the gear 26. The spacing of the shafts 24 and 25 and the diameter of the gears 26 and 27 are such that there is considerable space between the opposed peripheries and teeth of said gears or pinions.

The gears 26 and 27 are adapted to have their teeth simultaneously meshed with the teeth on opposite sides of a rack 29. The rack 29 is adapted to be vertically reciprocated relative to the telescoped housing 10-11 and for this purpose the outer housing it} is provided through its base or bottom 12 with an aperture 30 that is in alignment with a similar aperture 31 formed in the base or top 17 of the inner housing 11. The rack 29 is operated, as will presently be made clear, through a users finger and for which purpose the rack 29 is provided at its upper end with an aperture 32.

Each of the shafts 24 and 25, outwardly of the telescoped housings, has its end turned toward the other to provide fingers, as at 33 and 34 in Fig. 7. Each of said fingers 33 and 34 has its free end formed at right angles to its axis thereby providing shoulders 35 and 36 against which the individual brush or bristle portions are respectively clamped. The said brush or bristle portions are substantially identical and each comprises a body portion 39 having a fiat back 39a and a semi-circular inner edge 40 and from'which inner semi-circular edge 40 projects the bristles 41. Each of the said fingers 33 and 34 is provided with a tapped socket andeach body portions 39 of the brushes-37 and 38 is provided with an aperture: 42in. axial alignment with thetappedsocket in its-finger 33 -and.34and through 'whichiapef'tnre'fl Ta clamp screw 43 projects for securing said brushlor hri'stle portions 37 and 38 tothe shafts. f I Q 7 It is believed that the operation ofIthe. toothbrush as described and disclosed is obvious "from the foregoing, but briefly this operation is as follows: p 1' The shafts 24.and 25 are disposed in the outer housing slots 29 and21 with their gears .Ziiand 27 disposed'between the side walls .13 whereupon the inner housing-'11 is pressed into or telescopedwith'the.outer'housing to have its slots '22 and 23 around the shafts; wherefore the said shafts arejournaled on the bases'of'the. inner and outer slots 20 23.

Theshafts 24 vandZSare then rotated until the lower endsor corners 44 and 45, respectively, of brushes or bristle portions 37 and 38, are opposite one another, which positions the uncut portions'28 of each of the 'said gears 26 and 27, so as to be in opposition. The rack29. is then inserted through the opening 31 of theinner housing base or top 17 and upon contact of its lower end with the gears, specific the opposed ends of the-'saidgears uncut portions 28, whereupon continued downward movement of the rack causes. an intermeshing of the rack teeth and gear teeth for rotating the saidgears and shafts. If the rack is actuated to a position where. its lower end is in the aperture 30 of the outer housing base or bottom 12, the parts will be in the position illustrated in the drawings.

The user arranges the toothbrush in one hand and. assuming it is his right hand, he will insert his thumb in the aperture 16 of the left hand lug 15, as seen in Fig. 3, and will insert his middle finger in the aperture16 of the right hand lug 15, again, as seen in said Fig.3.

At the same time, the index finger is inserted within the aperture 32 at the upper end of the rack 29. .By exerting a slight pressure on the sides of the telescoped housing through his said thumb and middle finger, the

device is held stationery, and. by upwardly and downwardly actuating his index finger the rack 29-is correspondingly actuated which through its teethand those of the gears 26 and 27 oscillates the shafts24 and 25 and their attached brush or bristle portions v37-and-38. :It will be obvious that the brush or bristle portion .37 is actuated in a clockwise direction while the brush .or bristle portion 38 is being actuated in a'counterclockwise direction and that the reverse movement of either brush or bristle portion is accompanied by a-reverse actuation of the other.

From this, it will be obvious that by placingthe said brush or bristle portions within the mouth with a tooth between them, the frontand rear surfaces of said tooth are simultaneously brushed or cleaned.

Any suitable or desirable means may be employed for temporarily securing the inner and outer'housingsin telescoped relation, that shown in thedrawings compris ing forming an aperture 46 substantially centrally, longitudinally, of each outer housing'sid'e wall 13 at a point just below its upper end and forming on each inner housing side wall 18 a lug or protuberance 47 adapted to enter the aperture 46 upon the telescoping of the outer and inner housings. To separate the housings, it will be necessary to slightly presson the. upper ends of the outer housing end walls 14 which will be sufficient to outwardly bow the side walls 13 to free the lugs 47 whereupon the housings are separate and the shafts and parts carried thereby removed. It is to be understood that prior to the separation of the housings'lfl and 11, the rack 29 was removed from the'housing's by upwardly actuating the same, although it need not be removed in order that the housings be separated.

It will be understood that in order to remove or replace a brush or bristle portion 37 or 38 on its shaft, it is only necessary to slightly separate the bristles 41 at the point over the head'o'f itsfastening'screw 43 so that asc'rew driver or other implement may'be connected with the said screws for unscrewing the same.

In view of the foregoing, it is believed obvious that there has been provided a mechanical toothbrush which accomplishes the objects initially set forth.

What is claimed is:

A .mechanicaltoothbrush comprising 'a 'pair of telescoped'housings, finger receiving means carried'by' one of said housings whereby the said housings may be supported in one'hand, a pair of shafts rotatably supported by'said housings upon the telescoping thereof 'withsaid shafts extending outwardly of the housings, a gear car- "ried by each shaft within the telescoped housings, a brush section carried by each shaft outwardly of the housing and with the bristles of said brush sections in opposition to one another, means carried by the housings operable through-a finger of the supporting hand for actuating the gears, shafts and brushes, and means for removably securing eachbrush section to its shaft, comprising an inwardly projecting finger at the end of each.

shaft outwardly of the housing with each of'said fingers having a tapped socket, each brush having the shape of a segment of a circle with its bristles similarly terminated, and a screw extending through each brush into the tapped 'socket' of its shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

